Best Canon Landscape Photography Kit
Last Updated: June, 2026
When it comes to landscape photography gear, I don't believe there's a single perfect kit.
The best camera and lens combination isn't always the one with the highest specifications or the absolute best image quality. It's the combination that best balances image quality, versatility, portability, and features for the way you actually shoot.
Throughout my own photography, I've found that practical considerations matter just as much as technical performance. After all, gear only provides value if you're willing to carry it with you. In most cases, I believe landscape photographers are best served by either a two-lens kit or a three-lens kit. Both kits can cover everything from ultra-wide to telephoto, with the Two-Lens Kit prioritizing size and weight and the Three-Lens Kit prioritizing image quality. The recommendations in this guide focus not only on image quality, but also on real-world usability and practicality.
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Choosing a Camera Body
While this guide is focused on landscape photography, I understand that many photographers, including myself, also shoot other subjects such as wildlife, street photography, travel, portraits, and video. For that reason, the camera bodies I recommend are generally well-rounded hybrid cameras that can produce excellent landscape images while also performing well in a wide variety of other situations.
For my lens reviews and image quality comparisons, I often use higher-resolution camera bodies because they make it easier to identify subtle differences in lens performance. While high-resolution cameras certainly have their advantages, I find that modern midrange cameras offer an excellent balance of image quality, features, versatility, and value. If I were building a landscape photography kit today, I would choose a midrange body and invest the savings in lenses, travel, and other accessories. Modern midrange cameras still provide plenty of resolution for online publishing, prints, and moderate cropping while remaining highly capable for a wide variety of photographic and video applications.
Recommended Canon Landscape Photography Gear
If I were building a Canon landscape photography kit from scratch today, this is the gear I would buy as well as recommend to others. I prefer the Two-Lens Kit for long hikes or backpacking, travel, and other situations where I want to keep size and weight to a minimum. The Three-Lens Kit is the setup I prefer when image quality is the priority and carrying additional gear isn't a concern. Many photographers may find that the Two-Lens Kit provides everything they need, while others may choose to expand into the Three-Lens Kit.
Camera
Canon R6 Mark III
Two-Lens Kit
Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM
Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
Three-Lens Kit
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Astrophotography Lenses
Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM
Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM
Why These Cameras & Lenses Made the Cut
Canon R6 Mark III
All of Canon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras are capable of professional-level photography. If I were purchasing a Canon camera today for my own photography, the Canon R6 Mark III is the camera I would choose. It offers excellent image quality and is capable of handling a wide range of photography and video applications. The R6 Mark II is another camera I would consider, but the extra resolution and feature set of the R6 Mark III give it a better balance of image quality, performance, and versatility.
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Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM
The Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM serves as the wide-angle recommendation in my Two-Lens Kit. It provides the ultra-wide focal lengths that are often useful for landscape photography while also offering a fast f/2.8 aperture that allows it to double as a landscape astrophotography lens. Its compact size, low weight, and attractive price point make it an excellent fit for photographers who prioritize portability without giving up access to ultra-wide focal lengths. Paired with the Canon RF 24-240mm, it creates a simple two-lens kit capable of covering everything from ultra-wide landscapes to distant telephoto compositions.
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Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM
The Canon RF 24-240mm is what makes the Two-Lens Kit possible. Rather than carrying separate standard and telephoto zooms, this lens provides coverage from wide-angle to telephoto in a single package, making it an excellent choice for hiking, travel, and photographers who prefer carrying less gear. Superzoom lenses like this tend to compromise a bit of image quality in exchange for their extensive zoom range, with much of that compromise typically appearing near the edges and corners of the frame. One way to minimize this weakness is to shoot slightly wider than your intended composition and then crop during post-processing.
Unlike Nikon and Sony, Canon currently does not have a 28-300mm or 28-400mm style lens for the RF system. As a result, the RF 24-240mm is the lens I would choose for a minimal two-lens landscape photography kit. If Canon eventually releases a lens with greater reach in a similar form factor, this recommendation could change.
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Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM
The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM delivers excellent image quality while providing an ultra-wide 14mm field of view in a relatively compact and lightweight package. While the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L offers a faster aperture, I believe the smaller size, lower weight, wider field of view, and lower cost make the RF 14-35mm f/4 L the better choice for most landscape photographers.
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Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L combines excellent image quality with an extremely useful focal range, making it one of the most versatile lenses in Canon's lineup. In most camera systems, I tend to prefer a 24-105mm lens over a 24-70mm because the additional reach is often more useful than a wider aperture for landscape photography. If I were shooting Canon today, this is the standard zoom lens I would choose.
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Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Although landscape photography is often associated with wide-angle lenses, telephoto lenses are equally important. The Canon RF 100-500mm allows you to isolate distant subjects, simplify compositions, and capture scenes that would be impossible with a wider lens. Combined with excellent image quality throughout the zoom range and additional reach compared to many competing telephoto zooms, it's the telephoto lens I would choose for a Canon landscape photography system focused on maximizing image quality.
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Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM
The Canon RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM is the lens I would choose when astrophotography is the priority. The fast aperture allows more light to reach the sensor, making it easier to capture cleaner images of the night sky while keeping ISO values and exposure times under control. For landscape photographers interested in astrophotography, it's one of the most compelling lenses currently available in Canon's RF lineup.
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Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM
I also like having access to a fast 35mm lens. The narrower field of view can create a different perspective compared to an ultra-wide lens, and the f/1.4 aperture is fantastic for astrophotography. A 35mm lens is also useful for creating panoramic images of the night sky, allowing for larger, higher-resolution final images. For photographers who enjoy landscape astrophotography, the Canon RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM is an excellent complement to the RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM.
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Final Thoughts
If I were building a Canon landscape photography kit today, this is the gear I would choose. While there are certainly other excellent options within the Canon system, the kit I prefer isn't necessarily the one with the highest specs. As long as it can produce excellent images, is enjoyable to use, and has the features I need, I'm happy.
Whether you prefer a two-lens kit that prioritizes size and weight, a three-lens kit that prioritizes image quality, or access to both, the goal is to build a system that you're excited to use and willing to carry into the field. After all, even the best gear only provides value if it's with you when the light gets good.